Project Management in Baltimore: IT’S EVERYWHERE

We live in a fascinating city in fascinating times. Baltimore is home to a rich history, heavy news Carl Pritchard, PMP, scrutiny, heavy industry, PMI-RMP and people just trying to Pritchard Management make ends meet. What Associates do they all share? Project Management.

The challenge as a project manager in Baltimore is that different organizations take the practice to different levels of depth. The expectations range from that of “motherhen” to “detailed master planner”. The vital nature of the city itself creates an entire subset of risks that otherwise would not have to be considered.

“We live in a fascinating city in fascinating times. Baltimore is home to a rich history, heavy news scrutiny, heavy industry, and people just trying to make ends meet. What do they all share? Project Management”.

Project Management in Greater Baltimore

There are a host of different organizations that boast Project Management Offices (PMO) in Baltimore, but their nature could not be more different. From financial institutions like T. Rowe Price to educational stalwarts like Morgan State and Loyola universities, the PMO plays a dominant role. From Baltimore Gas and Electric to the federal government entities, PMO’s create a degree of constancy in the project management practice.

While widespread adoption of project practices continues to spread, the nature of those practices is widely varied. For example, Largescale construction organizations, often adopt the Primavera suite of tools to manage their projects. Primavera—and those who use it— requires serious rigor in the application of the baseline, the controls, and alterations to time and cost. Smaller organizations tend to favor smaller tools, with many still preferring to either hand-craft a schedule or to build it out using Post-It® notes. There is no universal standard, but there are rules.

Baltimore boasts a chapter of the Project Management Institute with over 3,600 members. That puts the city in the largest class of PMI chapters recognized at a global level. It also means that there is a reasonable expectation that individual practitioners across the city will have some degree of involvement with (or certification from) the Institute. The chapter lays claim to 2,600+ members who have earned the Project Management Professional® certification.

PM Expectations

In many of Baltimore’s smaller organizations, project managers are not expected to be certified or credentialed. Instead, they are simply expected to act as “motherhen” for their proj- ects. While organizations with a handful of small projects may benefit from some of the higher-end project management tools, the learning curve and tool costs sometimes limit their adoption. Project managers in such environments are often victims of their success, in that work gets done without heavy structure and organization.

Where there are heavy structures and organization, expectations mount rapidly. The Baltimore City Schools Capital Improvement Project (CIP) is one such example. A major ongoing project came under fire in early September 2019. The project, to replace the air conditioning systems in 70 schools, began in 2016 and some three years later, only 13 had been converted (Menitoff, 2019). The project shortfalls came to light on a hot fall day when schools had to close early to cope with an oppressive heatwave. As one parent, Gregory Pinkney told CBS News, “I don’t understand why here in 2019, almost 2020, that we are still facing this problem.” (Menitoff, 2019).

City Risks

Any large project comes with risk. But the CIP underscores the nature of trying to deal with the scale of big-city projects. The litany of examples points to the challenges of working within the construct of a major metropolitan area. Past risks include:

September 2019 – Downtown Baltimore is blocked off as police investigate a poten- tial terror threat (Watson, 2019).

May 2019 – Baltimore is targeted by a ransomware attack, halting real estate projects in their tracks (Duncan, 2019).

December 2018 – The Howard Street Tunnel expansion is stalled by a train derailment and fire (CBS Baltimore, 2018).

December 2018 – Sinkholes shut down light rail and construction projects, snarling traffic (Campbell, 2019). projects affected, but a slew of unknown ripple effects echoed across the city. From the events at the Convention Center that had to be reconfigured, to the investors who had to postpone agreements until the city got its systems back… the cascade of risks that affect city dwellers (and city projects) is virtually endless. “The multi-dimensional nature of project management in a city setting is not unique to Baltimore, but the nature of Baltimore is unique. As such, project managers in the city would be well-advised to learn the city and its environment.” Everywhere in Baltimore

The multi-dimensional nature of project management in a city setting is not unique to Baltimore, but the nature of Baltimore is unique. As such, project managers in the city would be well-advised to learn the city and its environment. From the resurgence of Federal Hill to the infrastructure challenges of failing water mains (even near the stadiums and Inner Harbor), projects in Baltimore need project managers who genuinely grasp the nature of the city and its history.

With a recognition (and precognition) of what’s involved, they stand a far better probability of success and have the opportunity to build alliances that can stand the test of city life in Charm City.

References:

Campbell, C. (2019, June 30). Sinkholes close Howard, Lexington streets in Baltimore, interrupt light rail traffic. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https:// www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-howard-street-void20181202-story.html.

CBS Baltimore, W. J. Z. (2018, December 13). Howard Street Tunnel Expansion Back On Track, CSX Gives $91M Commitment. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/12/13/howard-street-tunnel-expansionback-on-track-csx-gives-91m-commitment.

Duncan, I. (2019, June 29). Home sales are held up; Baltimore ransomware attack cripples systems vital to real estate deals. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-ransomwarehome-sales-20190514-story.html.

Menitoff, R. (2019). Baltimore City Schools Without AC Close 2 Hours Early. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/09/04/ baltimore-city-schools-without-ac-closing-2-hours-early.

Watson, T. (2019, September 10). ‘NO ILL INTENT’: Suspicious vehicle at Inner Harbor is found to be filled with stolen fuel. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/breaking-police-responding-to-report-of-asuspicious-vehicle-near-pratt-street.